


Life Is a Dance

by elirwen



Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, First Time, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Romance, Unresolved Sexual Tension
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-09-11
Updated: 2012-09-11
Packaged: 2017-11-14 00:58:35
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,660
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/509629
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/elirwen/pseuds/elirwen
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Arthur and Merlin are roommates. Oblivious roommates.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Life Is a Dance

**Author's Note:**

> Written for [merlin reverse big bang](http://merlinreversebb.livejournal.com/) for the art prompt by the amazing artist [akikotree](http://akikotree.livejournal.com/).
> 
> The art is here: <http://akikotree.livejournal.com/38420.html>  
> **GO AND LOOK AT THE ART AND TELL[akikotree](http://akikotree.livejournal.com/) HOW AWESOME SHE IS. NOW! :D**
> 
> Beta'd by [inspired_being](http://inspired-being.livejournal.com). You made this fic so much better! Thank you! ♥  
> All remaining mistakes are my own.

Arthur opened the door to his new room, balancing a box of his belongings on his left forearm. He quickly scanned the room. Two beds, two desks with chairs, two wardrobes, a small kitchen counter with a sink and a pair of cupboards above it. Walls were a simple white, spotted with marks where the posters had been in the past and a single window providing a view of the park.

To Arthur's contentment, the room was still neat and tidy with no signs of his roommate's arrival. 

He put the box on the desk closer to the window and went to retrieve the rest of his stuff from Morgana's car. She'd given him the keys and left to get herself a coffee.

Morgana was a third year and had the advantage of living in a shared flat with Gwen and Leon. Even though she was the older one, she never had to bear the weight of being 'the heir'. No, it was Arthur who had to listen to Uther talking about duty and always being compared to Leon, who was a fine example of an upstanding young man by Uther's standards. Many times, Arthur wondered if Uther would prefer Leon for a son instead of him. The suspicion only deepened after he announced his intentions to study computer science.

To say Uther was furious would be an understatement. There was an hour of yelling about responsibilities which ended with 'think about what you're doing' before a week of stilted conversations and heavy atmosphere.

To Arthur's relief, Uther hadn't disinherited him when he hadn't changed his mind, he'd only significantly lowered Arthur's allowance. And that's how Arthur ended here, in a double room with a shared bathroom, instead of a nice single room in the best dorm on campus. 

~x~

Arthur wasn't in the least bit surprised to find Morgana leaning in the doorway when he came back with his last bag.

"Seems nice," she said and Arthur scowled at her. "It could have been worse."

"Oh, yeah?" Arthur grunted.

"Imagine living right next to the bathroom. All the showering and flushing," she said with a smirk.

Arthur chose not to react to her teasing any more.

"I'd love to stay and chat some more, but my flat is waiting."

"By flat, you mean Leon," Arthur said, giving her back her keys. 

"Yeah. Probably naked in bed."

"Too much information," Arthur shouted, palms pressed over his ears.

"Delicate flower," Morgana said and blew him kiss a before leaving him to unpack.

~x~

Just as the first hot drops of the shower touched his skin, Arthur realized he’d forgotten to bring a change of clothes with him. 

~x~

After a quick run through the corridor in just a towel, Arthur barged in his room, shutting the door behind himself quickly and leaned his head on it. He was lucky he hadn't met anyone on his way.

And then he heard the gasp from behind him.

~~xxx~~

Merlin's eyes snapped up as he heard the door fall shut. He couldn't help but gasp as he took in the image presented to him. 

Blond, broad-shouldered, wet from shower, and oh god, almost naked man leaning on the door. He turned around and Merlin added defined muscles and strong jaw to the list. Only when the blonde spoke, Merlin was able to tear his eyes away from his body and look him in his (very blue) eyes.

"I... uh... you weren't here before," the blonde blurted out.

"I was under the bed the whole time," Merlin said, trying to hold a serious expression.

He burst into laughter when he saw the blonde glance at the bed.

"I just got here. Mum's waiting by the car with the rest of my stuff so I'll be back in five," Merlin said and the blonde stepped aside to let him pass, still looking a bit shocked. "Oh, and I'm Merlin," he added, stretching out his hand towards the other man, wide grin on his face. 

The blonde fumbled with the towel to free his right hand and then gripped Merlin's.

"Arthur. Nice to meet you," he said.

"Nice to meet you too," Merlin said and, letting go of Arthur's hand, started towards the door.

He paused before opening it.

"Mum's insisting on seeing the room, so..." Merlin said, allowing himself one more glance at Arthur's body.

"Yeah," Arthur said and Merlin turned to go, but was once again stopped, this time by Arthur's voice.

"Have we met before?

Merlin frowned, trying to remember.

"I don't think so," he said after a moment.

"Probably just reminded me of someone," Arthur said and Merlin smiled at him before dashing off.

~~xxx~~

Arthur sat down on his bed. What the hell had just happened? That hadn’t been how Arthur pictured his first meeting with his new roommate.

"You weren't here before," he mumbled to himself. "Nice, Arthur, really nice. Way to make an impression. You could have just said: I'm as dumb as all the jokes about blondes say."

He put on a fresh set of clothes, started up his laptop and successfully logged in to the wireless network. He was just checking his inbox when his phone beeped, signalling a message from Morgana.

He opened it to find a photo of a very rumpled bed and 'Leon really missed me' written under it.

'I hate you,' Arthur typed and hit the reply.

'That hurts. :( Don't forget, Rising Sun at 8. Bring your roomie.'

Arthur didn't bother to reply, tossing the phone on the bed. The door burst open not a second later, and the boy from before, Merlin, was entering with a huge box in his arms and his mother followed him, carrying a smaller crate. 

Arthur was on his feet in an instant.

"Let me," he said, taking the crate from the woman and depositing it on Merlin's desk.

"You must be Arthur," she said when he turned back to her.

He nodded.

"I'm Merlin's mum, but you can call me Hunith," she continued with a smile. "I'm sure you two will be great friends. I could tell Merlin liked you even from your brief encounter." 

"Mum," Merlin protested, his cheeks turning red. "Let's get the rest of my stuff, okay?"

"I could help," Arthur said.

~x~

They were done sooner with Arthur’s assistance, and then it was time for them to say their goodbyes.

"Don't forget to eat well. And clean after yourself," Hunith said.

"Yes, Mum."

"Call me however many times you want, but at least twice a week."

"Sure," he said with an eye roll.

"Don't let anyone break your heart," she said, pulling him into a tight hug. "I can't believe it's happening already. Where has the years gone?"

Arthur was trying to concentrate on the very interesting stone on the pavement, but it was so hard not to look at that show of motherly love. He never knew what it felt like and suddenly he missed it more than ever.

"I'll come home for all the holidays," Merlin promised and allowed his mother to kiss him on the cheek. 

She pulled away from him and dried her tears. Then she surprised Arthur by hugging him too and kissing him on the cheek the same way she had done for Merlin. 

"Take care of yourselves, boys," she said and Arthur barely managed to mumble his goodbye before she got in the car.

They waited until the car rounded the corner and then went back inside.

"Your mum's nice," Arthur said to breach the silence. 

"I couldn't wish for a better one," Merlin said and Arthur could hear a slight tremble in his voice.

"So, what are you going to be studying here?" Arthur said, swiftly changing the topic to a safer one. 

"I'm planning to join the large group of starving artists. You?" 

"Computer science," Arthur said as they entered the room.

"I bet your parents are glad you chose something actually useful," Merlin said, smiling.

"Well, my father wanted me to study economics so I could become the head of his company after he’d retire." 

"Some small family business?" Merlin asked and Arthur chuckled.

"I forgot I didn't tell you my surname. It's Pendragon." 

"You mean... but what are you doing living here?" Merlin asked, surprised.

"I told you. Father's not very happy with me right now." 

"It's funny. My uncle works under your father. He even got me a summer job cleaning offices."

Arthur frowned, something about it sounding familiar, and then he noticed Merlin was staring at him.

"You're the git whose fault it was I fell into a bucket. And then you yelled at me for ruining your expensive designer jeans by getting a few drops of the water on them," Merlin said, pointing an accusing finger at Arthur.

"And you called me a prat and a... a..." 

"Clotpole," Merlin finished for him.

They stared at each other, glaring, and then Arthur burst into laughter. 

"What does it even mean?" Arthur asked.

"I have no idea," Merlin answered, trying to stop himself from laughing.

One look at Arthur who was trying to do the same, and they dissolved into giggles.

~~xxx~~

They talked about their studies and plans and it led to Arthur mentioning his father had cut his allowance.

"I could ask a friend of mine. He's a barista at a café I'm going to be working at. They were looking for two baristas when I was there. Maybe the spot is still available," Merlin said.

"I'm not sure I'd be good at it. I don't even drink coffee," Arthur said.

"You have to serve it, not drink it," Merlin said with a laugh. "And they'll teach you everything you'll need to know."

"I don't know..." Arthur trailed off, but Merlin was already dialling Lance’s number.

"Hey," he said the moment Lance picked up. "Are you working?"

"On my way home. Do you need anything?"

"I was wondering if the other position had been taken already." 

"Yeah, soon after yours. Why?"

"I have a... friend looking for a job. But never mind..."

"Wait, Merlin. Mike, the guy from your shift, was talking about letting the job go to concentrate on his studies. We tried to convince him to stay, but your friend could be a solution. I'll ask him and if he still wants to leave, I'll talk to the boss, okay?"

"That would be great. Thank you," Merlin said, beaming.

"I've got to run right now, but I'll let you know as soon as there are any news."

"Yeah, sure. See you."

Merlin ended the call, grinning at Arthur.

"So?" Arthur asked.

"Lance needs to ask, but it looks good."

A small smile crept to Arthur's lips.

"I was wondering if you wanted to join us at the pub tonight," Arthur said, sounding almost hesitant. 

"I wouldn't want to intrude."

"Nonsense. My sister wanted me to drag whoever became my roommate along."

"I see. Afraid of your sister," Merlin said with a smirk.

"She's pure evil. Don't ever listen to anything she says about me. It's all lies."

"Of course," Merlin nodded, playing serious.

"So?" Arthur asked, fixing his gaze on Merlin.

"Okay, I'll go," Merlin said with a roll of his eyes.

~~xxx~~

Arthur couldn't help but stare when he first saw Merlin in his clubbing outfit. He was dressed all in black, tight t-shirt and jeans leaving almost nothing to the imagination.

"What?" Merlin asked, checking himself for anything that wasn't supposed to be there.

"Are you emo?" Arthur asked to cover his momentary brain melt.

"God, no. I just like black, that's all," Merlin said, shrugging.

~x~

The pub was noisy and full, but Arthur spotted Morgana immediately so they didn't have to search the whole place. There were more people at the table than Arthur had expected. Leon was sitting next to Morgana as usual. Gwen and Elyan he also knew, but there were other two guys who he'd never seen.

"Lance," came Merlin's surprised voice as he reached the table and one of the guys, tanned, dark haired and well built, rose and enveloped Merlin into a hug.

"What a surprise," the man, Lance, said. "What brings you here?"

"That would be me," Arthur said. "I'm Arthur," he added, extending his hand when he had Lance's attention.

"I'm Lance, but you already know that," Lance said with a smile and shook his hand.

"Good, now you know Lance's name, how about you introduce us to your roommate?" Morgana interrupted them and Arthur glared at her.

"I'm Merlin, hi," Merlin introduced himself with a wave, grinning like an idiot.

"And this is Leon, Morgana, Elyan, Gwen and...." Arthur said, pointing at each person he named, until he reached the last stranger.

"I'm Percy," the man said and stood up. 

He was taller than Arthur, who could not miss the size of the man’s biceps that made his own (which were absolutely fine and totally manly) look like twigs. When they shook hands, both used a tight grip, squeezing hard and Arthur could see the playful glint in Percy's eyes.

"When you two are done battling for dominance, how about you bring us some drinks, Arthur?"

Morgana again.

"Why don't you get some yourself?" Arthur shot back.

"Where's the gentleman in you?"

"You already have one man wrapped around your finger, I'm not going to follow," he said. "No offense, mate," he added, looking at Leon who just shrugged.

"I can get this round," Merlin offered.

"You don't have to try to impress her, Merlin. She's taken," Arthur said.

"I was just trying to be nice, you prat," Merlin said, scowling at him.

"I very much doubt I'd be anywhere near to Merlin's type," Morgana said, laughing.

"Yeah, sorry, not my type at all," Merlin agreed, not looking the least bit apologetic, which got him bonus points in Arthur's books. "So what are you guys drinking?"

~x~

The realization hit Arthur properly when Merlin came back to their room two days later, a few brochures in his hands, broad smile plastered on his face and a brand new rainbow coloured bracelet around his wrist.

'Damn it,' Arthur thought as he realized that suddenly all he could think about was Merlin's mouth, preferably in contact with a certain part of his body.

'Damn it,' he thought again when the certain part of his body started showing interest.

~x~

"I'm a bit nervous. Are you nervous?" Merlin asked as they were nearing Dragon's Lair, the café they'd be working in. 

They had met with the owner, a man named Killian Drake, before and he worked out their schedule with them, making it so they had all their shifts together. He'd been going on and on about destinies and sides of the coins and sounded a bit crazy. Arthur had just nodded through his speech, grateful for the job.

"I don't get nervous," Arthur said.

"Everyone gets nervous. There's nothing wrong with being nervous," said Merlin.

"Merlin."

"Yes?"

"Shut up."

~x~

They spent most of their first shift making all sorts of beverages with either Lance or Percy telling them exactly what to do. They also tried working at the cash register. It wasn't a surprise that working with computers was a second nature to Arthur. Not that Merlin was bad, but he seemed to do better with the coffee machines.

Arthur learned most of the women tended to forgive him for any mistake or delay once he focused the full force of his smile on them. He had six phone numbers written on receipts and napkins by the end of the shift.

~x~

They were just changing out of their aprons in the back room when Lance stepped in.

"You did well for your first day," he told them.

"You'll be on your own next time, but there will always be one of us to help out if needed," Lance assured them.

~~xxx~~

The semester had started along with all its classes. They were both struggling to balance their studies and work, while still managing to have some fun and get healthy amount of sleep amongst it all.

Merlin found out that Arthur was a heavy sleeper who wasn't very fond of early mornings, so they developed a sort of a ritual for the days they had morning shift.

"Rise and shine," Merlin said, loud enough to penetrate even Arthur's dreaming (which Merlin was absolutely not wondering about), and pulled the curtains open.

Arthur made some unintelligible sound and dragged the blanket over his own head. Merlin gave him a few more minutes as he poured the water into a kettle, setting it to boil, prepared their mugs and went to the bathroom for the necessary morning hygiene.

Afterwards, he approached Arthur's bed and started tugging his blanket away from him, meeting the usual resistance as Arthur held onto it.

"Are you playing Sleeping Beauty? 'Cause I'm not kissing you," Merlin said, with his brain adding 'even if I wanted to.’

Arthur huffed out a sound that could be anything from a simple exhale to an insult and rolled onto his side.

"One day I might just splash cold water over your head. It'd be so much easier," Merlin said, putting a box of cereal, milk and two bowls on his desk, which they were using as a dining table since Merlin preferred to study in bed. 

"You better not if you value your life," Arthur grumbled, sitting up and stretching.

It was really hard not to stare during moments like this. At Arthur's chest (he preferred to sleep shirtless), at his pouting lips or his sleep-ruffled hair. But Arthur was his roommate. And a straight one at that. He'd have to squash his desires and make do with being able to watch.

~~xxx~~

It was nearing midnight on Saturday and they were once again seated at a table in the pub. Lance and Gwen had excused themselves an hour ago because of Lance's early morning shift (but everyone knew he wouldn't get much sleep in any case) and Morgana and Leon had been sending each other heated looks for a while now.

"For fuck's sake, just get out of here already," Arthur said with an eye roll. 

"You should really get laid, Arthur. You're turning bitter," Morgana said with a smirk.

"I'm not talking about this with you," Arthur said, crossing his arms on his chest. 

"What about you and Merlin going to Avalon? A bit of clubbing might do you good," Morgana said.

"Yes, Arthur, let's go there. I haven't gone dancing in ages," Merlin pleaded, bouncing on his chair excitedly.

"I'm not really in the mood," Arthur said and tried to ignore Merlin's pouting.

"Please, Arthur, please. It'll be fun," Merlin continued, looking at Arthur like a puppy at its master. "You wouldn't let me go there all alone, would you?"

Merlin was blinking innocently at him and Arthur was utterly doomed.

"Okay, okay," he said, hands raised in surrender. 

Morgana was smirking at him again, so he glared at her in return.

~x~

The Avalon club was full of people, loud music making any attempts at conversation near impossible. Arthur refused to go on to the dance floor so he just watched Merlin from their table. In fact, he couldn't tear his eyes away from Merlin, all lost in the rhythm, letting himself be led by the music, revealing a small patch of naked skin just above his waistband when he lifted his arms.

Two songs later, Merlin stumbled back to their table and drank greedily from Arthur's pint.

"Satisfied?" Arthur shouted over the music.

"Absolutely not," Merlin shouted back and ran off again.

To Arthur's displeasure, a man, all flashing smiles and flinging hair, joined Merlin halfway through the next song and he certainly wasn't keeping his hands to himself. Arthur glared at him, his hands clenched in fists under the table.

Three songs and three shots of vodka later, Arthur had had enough and he set off in the direction of the dance floor. He stalked towards Merlin, who was giggling at something the man had just whispered (or probably shouted) into his ear. Merlin jumped a bit when Arthur grabbed his shoulder and pulled him from the man, but didn't resist when Arthur pulled him close, all the while glaring at the man who looked amused now and even had the nerve to get closer again and press against Merlin's back. 

Merlin seemed confused for a little while but then he just shrugged and, to Arthur's total displeasure, settled the man's hand on his stomach, leaning his head on the man's shoulder while holding Arthur by the waist with his other arm. He looked so content that Arthur didn't have the heart to rip him from the stranger's arms again, so they just swayed to the rhythm with Merlin pliant in between them.

~x~

Merlin dragged them towards the bar in the quieter part of the club after a few songs and the stranger introduced himself as Gwaine. 

"You don't have to worry, I'm not going to steal your boyfriend from you," Gwaine shouted when Merlin ran off to the loo. "But I wouldn't mind a threesome if you're up for it."

"He's not my boyfriend," Arthur clarified.

"Friends with benefits?"

"Roommates."

"With benefits?"

"Do you think about anything else?" Arthur asked.

Gwaine pretended to think about it.

"No, not really," he said, grinning at Arthur. "So you are saying all those stares and the territorial behaviour meant nothing and I can go for him." 

Arthur glared at him.

"I thought so. The threesome offer still stands when you two get sorted," Gwaine said casually. "Let's move on. I suggest a drinking game."

Merlin chose that moment to come back.

"A drinking game? I'm in," he said.

"No way, I'm not cleaning up after you again. You're a terrible lightweight," Arthur said.

"I am not," Merlin insisted.

"Yes, you are. You can be a referee."

"It's better than nothing," Merlin said and settled in between Arthur and Gwaine. "What's the prize?"

"I have an idea," Gwaine said, looking Merlin up and down. 

"Gwaine," Arthur growled.

"How about when you're faster at finishing the beer, you can ask the other any question he has to answer," Merlin said.

~~xxx~~

Merlin had no idea what was happening. First Arthur refused to dance with him and then he turned up and pulled him away from Gwaine. What followed was the most amazing dance he had ever experienced. Hell, it was the most intimate he’d been with someone in months and it had not only been one, but two, men pressed to his body. He let himself enjoy the moment, but as soon as they left the dancefloor, the confusion was back.

It didn't help that he noticed all the glares Arthur was sending Gwaine. It was stirring something in him, mostly hope that there could be more, and it wasn't a good thing if he was only projecting. 

The drinking game seemed like a good idea at a time, but then Gwaine kept winning and asking questions. They were innocent at first, but then they reached their fifth beer. Both of them were quite drunk by this time, but Gwaine less than Arthur, judging by the pleased expression on his face. He knew exactly what he was doing.

"How long have you known you're bisexual and how was your first time with a man?" Gwaine asked.

Merlin inhaled a bit of his beer in his shock and started coughing.

"Those are two questions," Arthur protested, but didn't deny Gwaine's statement.

"I'll let you have one question if you answer both of them."

"I realized when I was fifteen. My first time was at seventeen with a guy from the football team. It was just a fuck, no feelings or anything."

"Details. I want details," Gwaine was saying and Merlin was biting his lip as he tried to stop his imagination from going wild.

"He bottomed and I made him come on my cock alone. I had had a bit of practice from fucking girls after all."

"Shit," Merlin muttered, hoping the jeans were tight enough to hide his starting erection. "I need a bit of air," he said out loud and headed towards the exit without waiting for an answer.

"He didn't know?" was the last he heard Gwaine saying.

~x~

The air was fresh and smelled of rain which must have ended not so long ago. Merlin breathed in deeply.

Arthur was bi and he’d had no idea. Arthur was bi and he’d been crushing on him since the moment he appeared almost naked in their room. Arthur was bi and had danced with him and glared at Gwaine when he was flirting with him. Arthur was bi and he wasn't sure if he could resist the temptation now that he knew.

Arthur emerged from the pub, calling Merlin's name.

"You okay?" Arthur asked when he reached him.

He was quite spectacularly drunk, all slurred words and stumbling.

"Yeah," Merlin said and smiled at Arthur.

"I'm not in a closet or anything. I just don't talk about personal stuff too much, you know?" Arthur blurted.

"Yeah," Merlin said again and let Arthur crowd him towards the wall, the bubble of anticipation growing.

"You're quite beautiful, you know?" Arthur said, caressing the side of Merlin's face and Merlin let his eyes fall shut.

But then Arthur pushed away with a grunt and Merlin watched him stagger to the nearby lamp post where a moment later he emptied the contents of his stomach.

"Right," Merlin sighed, half disappointed, half amused. "I think it's time to call it a night." 

~~xxx~~

Arthur woke up with a massive headache and a foul taste in his mouth. He groaned and covered his eyes with his arm before trying to open them.

"He lives," Merlin said with a chuckle.

Arthur was trying to remember how exactly he’d gotten into his bed, but the last thing he could remember was the first few rounds of the drinking game, and even those were a bit blurry in his mind. He had a feeling he was missing something terribly important.

"Did I win the game?" he asked finally.

"You really have to ask?" Merlin asked, clearly amused. "Gwaine helped me get your drunk ass here. You're lucky you didn't throw up all over yourself. Want some breakfast?"

"Ugh, no mentions of food, please," Arthur said and managed to sit up, his head throbbing. 

Merlin handed him a glass of water.

"Thanks," Arthur said and downed it in one go. 

~x~

Arthur still wasn't sure what happened during his blackout that night, but he was sure something did. He caught Merlin looking at him curiously on more than one occasion and noticed Merlin's increased tendencies to blush around him. 

But on the other hand, Gwaine started coming to the café during each of their shifts, sometimes just for a coffee and a quick hello, but mostly to hang around for a while, flirting with Merlin and practically anyone who didn't ignore him.

Arthur wasn't sure what to think of it all, so he just kept smiling back at Merlin. And that he was using every opportunity to touch Merlin, well, who was to know that it meant more to him than a friendly gesture?

~~xxx~~

"Come on, Arthur. It'll be fun," Merlin said, kneeling next to Arthur who was sitting with his back to the side of the bed, eyes fixed on the textbook in front of him.

"I'm trying to study here," Arthur said.

"Gwaine invited us and everyone says Gwaine's parties are the best. You can study later."

"You can always go on your own."

Sometimes, Merlin had no idea how to read Arthur. One moment, he would be affectionate and warm, looking at Merlin as if he was something precious, and suddenly he would become distant, lost in thoughts, blocking every one of Merlin's attempts to pull him out of his shell.

"I don't want to go on my own," Merlin stated.

"Too bad," Arthur said, flipping the page over.

"Arthur Pendragon, fuck the programming or whatever you're trying to cram into your thick skull," Merlin said resolutely, snatched the book from Arthur's hands and tossed it onto his bed. "I want you at that party with me."

"Erm... okay?" Arthur said, looking surprised. "I'll just... take a shower."

~~xxx~~

'Damn. That was one of the hottest things I've ever seen,' Arthur thought as he practically ran to the bathroom.

He locked himself in one of the small shower rooms and quickly got out of his clothes. He turned water to hot and wrapped his hand around his now fully hard cock, letting his imagination run free.

_"I want you," Merlin would say, pushing Arthur on the bed, rubbing their clothed groins together. "I want you in me," he would whisper in Arthur's ear._

And Arthur came, his knees going a bit weak from the force of it. He breathed through it, head on the now warm tiles and reached a conclusion.

He was going to make his move tonight, no matter the consequences.

~~xxx~~

Gwaine's place was nothing like what Merlin would have ever expected. It was a large flat with three bedrooms, two bathrooms, a kitchen like from a wet dream of a clichéd housewife, a living room with leather sofas and a huge flat screen on one of the walls and a terrace at least twice as big as their room at the dorm.

There were people everywhere, most Merlin didn't know.

"Merlin," Gwaine's voice carried over the music and before he could ready himself, Merlin was enveloped in a hug. "Glad you could make it."

Gwaine turned to Arthur.

"Nice to see you too, Princess."

"Not sure if I can say the same," Arthur said, but there was a hint of a smile on his face and Merlin knew he was just teasing.

"Nice place, by the way," Merlin said. "Are you sure you really aren't a drug dealer or something?"

Gwaine huffed out a laugh.

"My father was pretty rich. It's all part of my inheritance. I like to let other people enjoy it too," Gwaine explained.

"Our good Samaritan," Merlin said.

"Exactly. Booze is in the kitchen. And you can use the bedrooms anytime, they're lockable. The lube and condoms are in the nightstand," Gwaine said with a wink. "Oh, and the others are on the terrace," he added and moved to greet another newcomer.

They each grabbed a beer from a fridge and headed for the terrace. True to Gwaine's words, the group was already there. Morgana was just talking with Gwen and Lance was explaining something to Leon and Elyan, while Percy was in the middle of a cloud of girls that were hanging on his every word.

They joined in and it seemed to Merlin it would be a perfect evening. Except, nothing's perfect.

~x~

"Where's Arthur?" Merlin asked, looking around.

"Probably taking a leak," Lance said.

"Or flirting with some hot chick," Percy added. "What?" he asked when he noticed Morgana's glare.

"I'll go look for him," Merlin said simply and went back inside. 

He didn't like the image Percy's words put into his head, but Arthur was acting differently tonight, more open in his actions, always in Merlin's space, and Merlin's hopes were so high, he didn't believe Arthur would just flirt with some random girl now.

So it was a complete shock, when he found Arthur pressed to a wall, kissing Sophia.

~x~ 

He knew it wasn't very rational to just turn around and run away, but it was all he could do. He didn't bother with the lift and rushed down all six flights of stairs, traitorous tears clouding his vision. Once he was outside, he didn't stop, just continued running, not really knowing where he was heading.

He heard Arthur calling his name and made the mistake of looking back. And that was why he didn't notice the hole in the pavement.

~~xxx~~

Sophia was heading in his direction when Arthur left the bathroom. He though she was going there too, so he leaned on the wall to let her pass, but instead she approached him and suddenly she was pressed to his front, her hand on his neck and her lips on his. Arthur was frozen in shock so it took him a moment to realize he should be pushing her away. But not before he heard a gasp and then saw Merlin running away.

He was lucky the lift was on its way up, but he still didn't make it down before Merlin. He followed him out, calling his name, which he regretted just seconds later as he saw Merlin stumble and fall forward, landing on his hands and knees and then slumping into a sitting position.

"Merlin!" he yelled, his voice full of worry as he sped up even more. 

Merlin was holding his left ankle, breathing erratic, tears still falling, when Arthur reached him. 

"Are you okay?" he asked, cradling Merlin's face in his hands and Merlin shook his head.

"Let me see," Arthur said, trying to unwrap Merlin's fingers from his ankle, but Merlin only tightened his hold.

"I can't help you if you won't let me look," Arthur said while he untied the jumper from around his waist and placed it across Merlin's shoulders.

"I don't want to move it," Merlin said, breathing too quick for Arthur's liking.

"Okay, let's just calm down first. Can you do that for me?" Arthur said, stroking Merlin's forearm. 

He waited for Merlin's breathing to slow down.

"Can I see your hands now? I know you fell on them. I won't touch your leg."

Merlin let go of his ankle reluctantly and Arthur took hold of his hands. There were scratches, but nothing bad, a proper cleaning should be enough to make sure they'd heal. Arthur suspected Merlin's knees might be in a similar state, but they could wait.  
"Your hands look fine," he said, smiling at Merlin. "But I really need to look at that ankle."

Merlin took a deep breath and started pulling his trouser-leg up a bit. Arthur prodded around the area, earning a few hisses from Merlin. The ankle was already swelling, but it didn't seem to be broken.

"I'd say it's just a sprain. Do you think you can handle standing up? I'll help you get back up to Gwaine's. He'll have something to bind it up."

"Okay," Merlin said, drying his tears with a sleeve of Arthur's jumper.

~x~

Gwaine cleared out one of the bedrooms for them and brought them a first aid kit and a bowl of warm water, but thankfully left them to it afterwards. Arthur locked the door, just in case, and started with cleaning Merlin's hands. Then he helped Merlin take off his sneakers and sat him on the bed with his back to the headboard. 

"She kissed me, you know," he said, wrapping Merlin's ankle up carefully. "And I didn't give her my permission to do that. I wanted to kiss someone else tonight."

Merlin was silent.

"She tasted like synthetic strawberries. I can't get the awful taste out of my mouth," Arthur rambled, finishing his work.

He gently laid Merlin's leg on the mattress and pretended to be busy with the first aid kit.

"Arthur?" Merlin said and Arthur looked up to see Merlin smiling at him softly. "Would I get your permission?"

"Are you sure you want it? I still taste like strawberries from hell," Arthur said, but was already sitting down next to Merlin.

"Kiss me," Merlin said and Arthur did.

He barely touched his lips to Merlin's at first, just breathing him in and snaking his arm around Merlin's waist, but then Merlin's lips parted and one of his hands found its way to Arthur's hair and Arthur was lost. He pressed close and let his instincts take over, knowing he did well by the little pleased sounds escaping Merlin's mouth. 

He climbed on top of Merlin and deepened the kiss, his hands roaming all over Merlin's torso. He noticed the slight rocking of Merlin's hips and it made him groan into the kiss.

"I want you in me," Merlin breathed out, making Arthur dizzy with desire through the use of the words from his fantasy.

"Are you sure?" he managed to say, mouthing at Merlin's neck.

"Yeah," Merlin said.

"But I don't have...," Arthur started saying.

"Nightstand, remember?" Merlin said.

"Oh, right. Brilliant." 

From there it was a flurry of motion as they were pulling off their clothes in haste and exploring each other's bodies in the process. Arthur was pleased to find Merlin's knees were only a bit red, but there were no scratches deep enough to bleed.

Once they were both naked and were too far gone to just continue the exploring, Arthur picked up a bottle of lube and coated his fingers with it, sliding his hand up and down Merlin's cock a few times and then continuing down, but a tentative touch on his arm stopped him. He looked up to see Merlin looking at him with such trust in his eyes that it stole his breath.

"I'm still virgin," Merlin whispered.

"Shit," Arthur uttered, dropping his head down on Merlin's shoulder, trying to breathe through the wave of lust that threatened to overwhelm him.

"Sorry," Merlin mumbled and Arthur realized how bad his reaction must have sounded in Merlin's ears.

"In a good sense," Arthur explained and brushed a tear from Merlin's cheek. "Can I?" he asked, moving his lubed hand a little lower again.

Merlin nodded and Arthur led his fingers to circle Merlin's opening, watching Merlin's face as he gasped. He felt the muscle contracting under his touch while Merlin rocked up instinctively. 

"I need you to relax," Arthur said and pumped Merlin's cock a few times, watching Merlin melt into the mattress.

He started pushing the first finger in, all the while distracting Merlin by paying attention to other parts of his body. Merlin easily lost himself to the pleasure, especially after Arthur found his prostate. Two fingers were no problem and three, after a first few moments of discomfort, left him at the brink of orgasm, while Merlin's moans had exactly the same effect on Arthur.

He withdrew the fingers and wanted to give himself a few seconds to get back down from the edge, but Merlin was already rolling the condom on Arthur's cock. It was so Merlin and so perfect that it was all it took and hot spurts of come were filling the barely pulled on condom.

"Ah.. shit... sorry... that hasn't happened to me in years," Arthur stammered, red in his cheeks not just a sign of his past orgasm.

"It's okay," Merlin said, laying back down and giving Arthur time to compose himself and get rid of the condom. "It's quite intense for both of us."

He took hold of Arthur's hand.

"How about you finish what you started?" he said, pulling Arthur’s hand down towards his entrance.

Arthur happily complied, adding more lube to his fingers, and resumed his earlier rhythm, massaging Merlin's perineum with his thumb.

"Yes, yes, yes... don't... don't stop..." Merlin was crying out after a while. "Almost there... I'm... Arthur!"

And he came all over his belly as Arthur stroked him through the aftershocks.

~x~

They tried to straighten their appearances as best as possible before they'd be going out.

"Do you think they'll suspect?" Merlin asked and Arthur shrugged.

"We'll see," he said, pretty sure everyone had known with Merlin shouting Arthur's name at top of his lungs.

As they opened the door and staggered back into the living room, all eyes turned to them and then everyone started clapping. 

"Nice show, little brother," Morgana said with a smirk. "Also, congratulations. Can't wait for the wedding."

**Author's Note:**

> Also [at my journal](http://elirwen.livejournal.com/32612.html)


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